


we fell in love

by leejenowo



Series: Ships that should sail [13]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Rare Pairings, chenle puppy!!!, honestly really, inspired by that pic hyuck posted of daegal, johnny awkward big bro, no one speaks about them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:55:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28330497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leejenowo/pseuds/leejenowo
Summary: christmas holidays with chenle, hyuck and daegal!
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Zhong Chen Le
Series: Ships that should sail [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1157306
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	we fell in love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sungchenji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sungchenji/gifts).



> hi it's been a while!!  
> merry christmas!!  
> this is my gift to every hyuckle/chenhyuck supremacist out there, but mostly to my best friend.  
> thank you for the amazing year we had, amy.  
> i love you.
> 
> i made a small playlist that reminds me of boyfriends hyuckle
> 
> [apple](https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/we-fell-in-love/pl.u-LdbqqJ3sNrbEN0?ls) \\__/ [spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1aHbn1WaYqxIO1vXCoeKV4?si=U6AYY9dGT9q-2NsP_n8nig)

"you know i love you right?" 

the love confession coming from the other side of the receiver is a complete surprise. not unwelcomed, but unexpected nonetheless. it has chenle's stomach flipping and turning and filling with any little critter imaginable to mankind. contrary to what most people outside of their select little group think, haechan isn't really expressive when it comes to his love interests - namely chenle. any feeling that isn't some kind of filial duty - tolerating his siblings, kissing his mom's cheek when he goes home - or a bond that is formed through blood, sweat and tears, through the harsh training he endured with others during his most formative years - is kept secret. 

"yes, i know you do." 

and it's true. chenle has been in love with haechan since he stepped into the studio they were first introduced in. but he wasn't the only one in love with him. well, kind of. everyone in the group loved donghyuck to a different degree, but none of them loved haechan. mark never got used to the stage name picked for his best friend and he argued that nothing about haechan screamed donghyuck. but chenle didn't know donghyuck, just like how he didn't know many words in korean or how to use an overboard for their debut. he had to learn who donghyuck was, and how to differentiate between his stage persona and the person he had grown to become. haechan is the boy who loves to annoy and bicker with renjun. donghyuck is the one who loves to come home, strip down to his underwear and eat hot chips in bed. haechan gives it his all when he's on stage. donghyuck plays games on his computer until it's too early in the morning to say it's night. but all in all, there really isn't much of a difference between the two of them, because those two parts are one and the same. and no matter how you look at it, chenle loves both equally. he's fascinated by the way haechan moves on stage and he has fallen for donghyuck's habit of completely wrapping himself up in a blanket whenever he's slightly cold.

"ah… of course you know. i'm a bit obvious, right?" he sounds sheepish, but chenle knows he's just stalling for time before he brings up whatever it is that's on his mind. 

a deep breath, "do you want to go home, chenle?" 

the question is so ridiculous it makes chenle chuckle out loud. "of course i want to go home. but i can't. what even brought this on?" 

"i'm sorry," a beat, "127 was filming messages for our families and fans and i thought about you and how you miss your family."

"none of this is your fault. actually, thanks to you and the others, most of the year was tolerable." honestly, chenle would rather just not think about how the whole year was just a shit show, so he focuses on something else. "why were you even filming video messages? i thought the company had arranged transport and testing for most of you guys to go back home for the holidays." 

he hears donghyuck grumble on the other side of the phone, "they did, but we need to cover our asses in case something happens. that's why we have january off. if one of us catches that shit, we have a month to recover without any activities being stopped and we keep up with this illusion that we're good citizens and not traveling. not like most of us have a lot of it to do. johnny, yuta and mark are staying behind."

"how absolutely heartless of you to leave your roommate to fend for himself." 

chenle's comment makes haechan chuckle, "he'll probably move up to the 10th floor to be with mark and yuta."

chenle thinks that's even worse than leaving him alone, but he keeps that comment to himself, opting to ask haechan about his plans instead, "when are you leaving to go home?" 

haechan doesn't speak for a moment and chenle knows that it's because he's about to say something he believes won't please chenle. and just like he thought, the news isn't pleasant. 

"right after this, actually. they planned for all of us to leave in company cars that will pick us up directly at sm and the dorms. i would have told you, but we were informed right before we started filming and you know i would have come to see you but-" he stops speaking to hear what someone says to them, something along the lines of 'time's up', which means their call is almost over. "shit, i have to go finish up. i'm sorry i can't come, i'll make it up to you when i come back in two weeks ok? love you!" 

haechan's goodbye is rushed and he hangs up before chenle can say anything. he looks down at his phone. thirteen minutes. that's almost a record for them. they've taken naps shorter than that, so a thirteen minutes long phone call is almost a miracle. except when he thinks about what that called was about in the first place. 

thinking about haechan not being there doesn't feel right. it's not like they've never been apart, because god knows they've probably spent more time apart then together in the five years and whatever months they've known each other. this year has just been more special than any before because of the pandemic. and also because it would be their first christmas as a couple. chenle would never admit he had been looking forward to it, thinking he would have his boyfriend all to himself because of the current world situation, but the news that half the group would be able to go home and see their family while the rest were stuck in the dorms leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. 

the first thought that comes to his mind is to go crash at the dream dorm so he doesn't feel lonely, but he soon realizes that the place will be empty with jaemin, jeno and jisung gone. renjun would most likely hang around the wayv members and chenle can't find it in himself to impose his presence on them and add to their number of visitors. so he convinces himself that he'll be perfectly fine for the time being and he'll eventually hang out with someone else. just not today, not when he's sad about not spending christmas with his boyfriend. 

chenle's idea of christmas holidays changes from cooking and baking somewhat adequately to lazing around in his underwear doing nothing. until his phone starts buzzing with new notifications. 

from **duckie**

_if u go to my dorm_

_i left clothes for you on my bed_

_ok_

_is the code still 0606_

_no lol_

_yong said it's cursed_

_??_

_something to do with the devil_

_are you dumb_

_that's literally your own bday_

_yeah that shit cursed af_

_anyway no new code_

_keypad is broke_

_text me when ur there and i'll text johnny to let you in_

_i can text him?_

_bet u don't even have his number saved_

_u still have mark saved as mark lee (nct) in ur contacts_

_i wouldn't be surprised if i'm just haechan_

_you're not wrong about johnny and mark_

_but you're saved as duckie_

_that's worse_

_delete_

_no fuck you_

_i'm leaving now pretend you're doing something and tell johnny_

_ok_

_mwah_

_miss u already_

chenle rolls his eyes but replies with a quick 'i miss you' of his own. he shrugs on his coat and a pair of shoes before leaving his apartment. he puts his mask on and a hat before leaving the lobby of the building. the walk to the 127 isn't too long, shorter than the trek to dream's, but it's still quite an exercise. might as well do a but before he sits on his ass and forgets everything he's learned in the past year. his hat and mask allow him the privacy to travel from one building to another without interruption so he makes it in under 20 minutes. he shakes off some of the rainwater that gathered in the hood of his coat and heads to the elevator instead of taking the stairs all the way to the 5th floor. 

there isn't much to do while he waits for johnny to open the door except to watch the other side of the hallway and wonder who lives there. chenle had never seen or heard of the neighbors and it piqued his curiosity. he hears johnny shuffling on the other side of the door, so he turns his attention back to the actual reason of his visit. the door opens to johnny's smiling face and open arms and chenle doesn't waste time shuffling into the man's arms. it's a bit awkward because the two of them are not the closest, but a hug is a hug, and chenle isn't going to just say no to the minimal affection he is getting. 

"merry christmas, chenle!" he can hear johnny's smile in his voice and it makes chenle smile against the shoulder he's leaning on. 

"haechan said he left clothes for me?" it comes out more as a question than as a fact, but johnny seems aware of what he came here for. 

"yeah! you can just go get them, they're on his bed."

chenle thanks johnny for the information and walks up to the room johnny and haechan share in the dorm. it's a bit weird to enter the room when his boyfriend isn't there to tug him in and push him in bed for cuddles. haechan indeed left some clothes on his bed including the sinners hoodie jaemin gifted him a couple of years ago. the pieces left don't matter to chenle when all he cares about is wearing them and sleeping surrounded by something that smells familiar. he picks up whatever haechan left and leaves the room. he looks in the kitchen to say goodbye to johnny and finds him making tea. for two. he can't really ignore the fact the second cup was made for him and he waits for the older to beckon him over. 

sitting in silence on the other side of the counter facing johnny is weird at first, because they've never really been alone together before. 

"thanks for the tea…" was all chenle could find to say. 

johnny shifts in place, "you're welcome. i guess i should thank you for this year." 

"what do you mean?" chenle frowns at johnny's word. 

"you've worked really hard with every comeback-" 

"so have you." 

johnny keeps going, disregarding chenle's interruption, "but also thank you for making donghyuck happy." 

it takes chenle by surprise, mostly because it's not something he ever expected to hear from someone who isn't his mom, but he still takes the compliment - if it is one at all. 

johnny's phone vibrates on the counter and he looks down at it before looking back up to chenle. 

"didn't mean to make you wait or anything, but you can go home if you want! or stay, i don't think any of the others would mind. or you can come with me to the other dorm?" 

chenle doesn't need much time to think about it, "thanks for the offer, but i think i'll be going back home for now. thanks again for the tea, johnny. merry christmas too, by the way." 

chenle sees himself out and starts his journey back home under the rain, already regretting not calling a taxi. the tiredness and the cold starts seeping into his body with every minute that passes by. 

unlocking his door is simply routine and he doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary until he reaches the living area. so, chenle isn't the most organized person, but he also has great knowledge of what clothes he owns and those pants are definitely not part of his wardrobe. his ps5 remote is also out of place, discarded on the couch instead of sitting on top of the table, which means someone came in. it wouldn't be surprising in another situation because all the dream members and their managers have the password for the door, but chenle can't really think of anyone visiting him right now. there's no noise in the apartment and chenle becomes even more curious. 

open the door of his room, chenle finds haechan curled up around a white pillow, asleep in just his t-shirt and underwear. 

"what the actual fuck, lee donghyuck?" 

chenle's question wakes haechan up and he sits up quickly, holding the white ball to his chest. 

"not so loud, you'll hurt the baby."

"first of all, i'm the baby. second of all, shut up. third of all, i asked what the fuck, lee donghyuck. what are you doing here?" 

haechan frowns, holding out the white ball he has in his arms, "i brought your gift." 

chenle has to blink multiple times to understand that his boyfriend is holding a literal real life puppy in his arms. 

"what the fuck. what the fuck?" chenle is repeating himself at this point, but his brain doesn't understand what is currently happening. 

"it's a puppy! look! it's a girl, you can name her!" his boyfriend all but shakes the little animal to better show chenle. 

it's a small white bichon puppy and her head looks bigger than her entire body, so the name comes easy to him, "daegal." 

haechan looks at him, unimpressed, "seriously? just say you like mark or jisung more than me at this point." 

chenle opens his mouth to reply, but haechan squints at him before he can say anything. 

"don't even think about answering that. come here." 

haechan motions him over, carefully placing the puppy down by the pillows on the bed. chenle doesn't need to be asked twice before he reaches over to his boyfriend. the difference in height between haechan sitting and chenle standing means that the younger has to brace himself down on haechan's thighs. their lips meet in a sweet kiss and chenle sighs into it. it makes the other smile and they separate after another quick peck. 

"i can't believe you're here…" chenle is touching haechan's face like he's afraid he'll actually disappear. 

"i'm staying here for a week and then spending new year with my family." he answered to the silent question. "i asked renjun who then asked your mom about your favorite dish because i was planning on making it for you but everything sounds so complicated. so tomorrow we can make dumplings and then we can order food for the rest of the week. now take off those wet clothes and come cuddle us."

haechan was using the puppy eyes and when he looked at daegal, he realized she also was doing the same. a puppy making puppy eyes. never seen before - except for lee jeno. 

chenle just can't help but to joke at haechan's last words, "just say you want to see me naked." 

he really had no reason to be surprised when haechan answered back, "i do wanna see your butt."

**Author's Note:**

> stay safe everyone!!


End file.
